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Jake Thomas Patterson: Barron County Sheriff says Jayme Closs abduction suspect had no record

Posted at 10:44 AM, Jan 11, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-11 13:43:41-05

BARRON, Wis. -- Wisconsin authorities say they believe 13-year-old Jayme Closs was "the only target" of a man suspected of kidnapping her and killing her parents in October.

At a news conference Friday, Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald identified 21-year-old Jake Thomas Patterson as the man suspected in the crimes.

He says Patterson "planned his actions and took many steps to hide his identity" and that Patterson had no prior criminal record.

Fitzgerald says Jayme managed to escape from a cabin on Thursday and approached a woman who was walking her dog. That woman alerted a nearby neighbor, who called 911.

Fitzgerald says Closs was medically cleared, is out of the hospital and is being interviewed by law enforcement.